Accepting Applications for Fall 2019

We are accepting K, 6th, and 9th grade enrollment applications for Fall 2019 entry. We accept 1st-5th grade applications for limited backfill slots. For more information, please see the Enrollment page for details. You may also call 413-582-7040 or email us at info@pvcics.org.

Webmaster

Equal Opportunity Provider

In accordance with Federal law and United States Department of Agriculture policy,
this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, or disability. (Not all
prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of
discrimination, write to USDA, Director of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Bookmaking: Calligraphy = Language + Art

At PVCICS, Chinese language, art and culture is integrated into the curriculum. The arts are taught using Chinese as the language of instruction.

These photos show a pilot project where students were the makers, authors and illustrators of their own books. The bookmaker is an artist-in-residency.

Chinese calligraphy is taught to our students to show the connection between Chinese language and art. In China, calligraphy is considered one of the highest art forms. Calligraphy reinforces their Chinese literacy and enhances their understanding of it as an art. In addition, students learn brush painting to develop their skills using a brush and ink.

Our calligraphy teacher, Wang Laoshi, was first introduced to calligraphy when she was nine years old in Taiwan. She started learning brush painting at age eleven. She earned numerous rewards in Taiwan for her works in both brush painting and calligraphy. Wang Laoshi's lessons reinforce Chinese culture by teaching the traditional brush painting elements (bambo, panda, swallow...etc.) to her students. Brush painting is also a good method to develop students' skills in using a brush, ink and calligraphy strokes.

Photo below: To increase knowledge of Chinese arts, one of our 6th graders is learning to be a junior docent at the Springfield Museums. Our middle school students are teamed with Springfield Public School high school students. Together they learn about Chinese artwork from a museum docent trainer (in center, dressed in blue).

Students are assigned specific art works in the Chinese collection and then learn how to present them to the public.

Our students are paired with Springfield high school students who are taking Chinese to form a collaborative learning experience.